Laos: Luang Prabang Days One and Two

I decided to pay extra and fly directly to Luang Prabang, Laos and avoid having to take a bus trip twice.  I’m grateful I did because I had less than a week to spend there.  Here are some fishing boats on the Nam Khan, which runs into the Mekong River.

“Charming” is too weak a word to describe my general impressions of Luang Prabang, but there you have it: the town is incredibly charming, as well as sleepy, laid-back, and peaceful.  Even the kids selling bracelets are not interested in a hard sell when it comes to their goods, unlike my experiences in neighboring Thailand.  I actually didn’t buy anything from these girls, but I gave them each a little bit of cash.  The Hello Kitty girl was angry at me because she asked me to buy her a Coke as well.

I got in relatively late my first night (by law, everything shuts down in Laos between 11 and 11:30 pm) but managed to check out the Night Market.  Dozens of stalls were selling various Laotian handmade goods, while others were selling BeerLao T-shirts and hoodies.

Night Market means food too.  Here is my one USD baguette sandwich, loaded with chicken and veggies and chili sauce.  You can buy these sandwiches everywhere and it’s probably the cheapest way to keep yourself going in Laos.

I didn’t bring an alarm clock but the chickens outside my Guest House window were kind enough to roll me out of bed bright and early.  Here’s part of the main drag of Luang Prabang and some good examples of the buildings the French left behind.

Here’s some sort of pre- or post-wedding celebration.  It was winter in Laos so the locals are bundled up.  I on the other hand was wearing shorts and a light shirt and still felt like it was a little too hot for comfort.

Here’s Wat Ho Pha Bang, undergoing repair, on the grounds of the Royal Palace.  The Palace is a nice, central place to start exploring the town.

I made my way over to the much more interesting and picturesque Wat Xieng Thong (wat means temple) in the northeast corner of the town, a mish-mash of various building and sculptures from various time periods in Luang Prabang’s history:

A view of the Buddha inside the main building:

Another Buddha on the grounds of Wat Xieng Thong:

Reclining Buddha Chapel, or what the French called La Chapelle Rouge:

But then it was time for lunch.  There are a bunch of restaurants that line the Mekong River and personally I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t want to eat at one and take in all the scenic beauty, but some of the places closer to the center of town seemed to do the lion’s share of business.  To each his own.

For my first encounter with Lao cuisine I ordered fish laap and sticky rice.  Laos would eat this with their bare hands, but I wasn’t feeling that adventurous.  Still, it was delicious.  There was a refreshingly acidic bite to the fish thanks to a copious amount of lime juice.  And BeerLao is also quite yummy:

I had no problem with some cats finishing my leftovers, but the owner of the restaurant wasn’t having it:

I finished my second day, first full day, at another temple called Wat Mai:

Inside Wat Mai:

It’s interesting to note that all of these temples are still active places.  You’ll see any number of monks going about their chores and duties for the day:

And if a soccer match breaks out between some local boys next to the main temple, so be it:

I actually walked home past another temple, Wat Nong Sikhunmeuang (if it isn’t obvious by now, there are lots of wats throughout the town):

Overall, it was a glorious beginning to my short vacation in Laos.  I made it down to the banks of the Nam Khan to catch the sunset:

I ended up strolling around the Night Market again that evening, meeting folks from all around the world.  Not surprisingly, it’s a popular destination for French people and ex-pat English teachers like myself.